Less garbage collected at Mt. Apo this year, DENR reports

MANILA, Philippines — The volume of garbage in Mt. Apo, the country’s highest peak, has significantly dropped, and environment officials said this was largely a result of the “garbage-for-sale" program. Nilo Rivera, chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Protected Areas and Wildlife Subdivision in Region 11, said the policy is to sell garbage at P10 per kilogram. Online news site Mindanao Daily Mirror (www.dailymirror.ph) quoted Rivera as saying the volume of garbage during this year’s climbing season last Lent was down to 200 kg. This was a far cry from the one ton of garbage collected in Mt. Apo in 2007, and 300 kg in 2008. Under the policy, concerned government agencies are hiring porters to sell the garbage at P10 per kg, he said. Rivera said the number of climbers also began to drop since 2007 at 2,005. As of 2009, the number of climbers was down at 1,800, he said. He attributed the drop in the number of climbers to the costly entrance fees ranging from P600 up plus payment for porters at P250 per porter. Mt. Apo climbers as of April 5-12, this year at the mountain’s peak and Lake Binado was recorded at 1,785, Rivera said. - GMANews.TV